The Wounded

[Mark]

Likely what happened was Starfleet sent a senior NCO to take charge of what was considered a rust bucket in space. When it suddenly became a critical priority, Sisko likely just wanted to keep the Chief since he saw what he could do.

[Black Jesus]

Totally a man crush:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf9oD_xl8mI

[Tsukiyumi]

[Victory is Life]

NCS is superior to even a Keldon Class Destroyer, even with the AWACS.

IMHO, one of the best moments of the episode, at the beginning. Upstart Cardie Galor Class under the command of handlebar moustache Cardie, Macet, played by Marc Alaimo (of Gul Dukat fame), fires on E-D, and Picard, to the Cardie Gul, says calmly, 'the other alternative is for us to keep firing at one another, and, in such a contest, you would be at a disadvantage' LOL, then the Cardies disengage weapons....Picard FTW, PWND, OMFG!!!1111one one !!!1111

[Graham Kennedy]

That was one aspect of the episode I didn't like, actually. The episode is dependent on the idea that a war with the Cardassians is something Starfleet would find at least a bit of a struggle; Picard talks of millions who might die, as I recall, and it's evident that the previous war wasn't a walkover easy victory for either side.

And yet, both the GCS and NCS comprehensively outgun Casdassian warships at every turn. From what we actually SEE, if the Cardassians did invade the Federation they'd get stomped, and badly. They're treated as a threat, but they really don't seem to be one. I'd far rather the Galor at the start had been a near match for the Enterprise, or at least have PIcard mention that he's relieved that they're only dealing with border patrol ships rather than Cardassian battleships.

[Mikey]

Good point. I'd always attributed the UFP's attempt to avoid hostilities to philosophy rather than fear.

[Deepcrush]

Good point. I'd always attributed the UFP's attempt to avoid hostilities to philosophy rather than fear.

Agreed, they didn't want a war because they didn't want a war.

[Captain Seafort]

Good point. I'd always attributed the UFP's attempt to avoid hostilities to philosophy rather than fear.

That's the impression from The Wounded, but given that the Feds handed over worlds to the Cardies as part of the treaty, it's likely that they were seriously worried about how a resumption of hostilities would go. The Feds would have space superiority, but based on what we know of them the Cardassian army is by far the best equipped in the Alpha Quadrant. Give them a toehold on a planet and it would be exceptionally difficult to the point of impossibility for the Feds to dislodge them without resorting to large-scale orbital bombardment, which they're unlikely to do.

[Sionnach Glic]

The UFP would almost certainly find the idea of blasting cities and such to take out enemy forces hiding within them completely unnaceptable. Thus their only possible response would be a ground assault to dislodge the Cardassians. Since the UFP is one of the most inept groups around when it comes to ground combat, and the Cardassians are one of the most ept groups, such an assault would be particularly bloody.

[Mikey]

most ept

Well said.

[Tyyr]

I didn't really have an issue with a GCS being far superior to a Galor. At that point in time we really didn't know much about the Cardassian military. They very well could have been a cruiser Navy, focusing on mid sized ships and building a metric ton of them.

[Sionnach Glic]

Hell, a well led force, even if its technologicaly inferior to the Feds, could still cause some serious havoc. Particularly given how Starfleet doesn't even consider tactics a particularly important thing to teach its officers.

I like to think that the first UFP/Cardassian war went poorly for the UFP for that very reason. Starfleet was being led by politicians and scientists - not soldiers. Thus the more militarised Cardassians were able to inflict disproportionatly heavy losses on Starfleet, despite the inferiority of their ships. With casualties mounting in a war that should have been a walk in the park, the public rounded on the government and effectively forced their leaders to agree to a cease-fire.

most ept

Well said.

I was wondering if someone would notice that.

[Reliant121]

With something as vast as the Federation, the Cardassians could have wreaked havoc in a very concentrated arena. quick, surgical attacks with dedicated and well planned cruiser battlegroups could cause heavy damage before the Federation could respond.

[Mikey]

Excellent point. Starfleet is necessarily spread wide, and well-planned disruptive attack could slow the Fed's response even further.

[Reliant121]

Additionally, I could see the Federation Bogged down in bureaucracy and procedure. Starfleet would coalesce its forces in the area to form a fleet, as a sort of stop gap measure while the governors back on Earth argue and debate about what the hell to do about it. The Cardassian's aren't fools, they have shown supreme tactical ability that is only clouded by their arrogance. Even they know not to tackle the Feds in open conflicts, so they will use their battle groups to strike more remote places quickly, before that coalesced fleet can respond.